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Korlh  American  Section 


Medical  Mission  Serie^.'1'" 

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HOSPITALS  IN  CHINA. 


TOOKER  MEMORIAL  HOSPITAL.  SOOCHOW.  CHINA. 


Woman’s  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
Of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

501  Witherspoon  Building.  Philadelphia 


HOSPITALS  IN  CHINA. 


By  V F.  Penrose. 


“ Ignorance  in  some  of  its  aspects  may  be  regarded  as  only  a negative  evil,  but 
when  it  undertakes  to  practise  medicine  and  surgery,  it  becomes  a positive  evil 
of  an  aggressive  and  deadly  character.  The  agonies  and  sorrows  which  result 
from  the  stupid  and  cruel  inflictions  of  quackery  upon  suffering  humanity  make  an 
awful  chapter  in  the  daily  experience  of  mankind.”— Dr  Dennis. 


I I # E find  in  China  about  150  medical  missionaries — 
ill  more  than  in  any  other  country.  China— with 
one-fourth  of  the  world’s  population  crowded 
within  its  borders — ah,  there,  indeed,  is  Christian 
healing  needed.  The  native  doctors  have  vague  and  ridi- 
culous ideas  of  anatomy,  for  their  superstitions  forbid  dis- 
section. The  blood  circulation  is  practically  unknown.  The 
stomach  is  the  seat  of  the  breath  and  of  learning.  Health 
depends  on  the  just  proportions  being  preserved  between 
the  five  elements — fire,  earth,  wood,  metal  and  water— evil 
spirits  not  interfering.  Surgery  is  unknown,  for  the  people 
believe  that  any  mutilations  inflicted  here  endure  through- 
out the  future  life.  They  use  vile  concoctions  as  medicines. 
Nevertheless,  we  have  the  authority  of  Dr.  H.  M.  McCandliss 
of  Hainan,  in  saying  that  “ in  spite  of  the  want  of  accurate 
scientific  knowledge,  many  of  the  Chinese  doctors  manage 
to  cure  their  patients.  When  they  shall  have  added  to  their 
keen  observation  and  surprising  memories,  that  knowledge 
of  chemistry,  physiology  and  anatomy  which  we  have,  we 
may  expect  from  them  the  very  best  results.” 

The  ignorance  of  the  people  combined  with  their  super- 
stition makes  them  suspicious  of  the  foreign  doctors  and 
various  reports  are  circulated,  as  that  children’s  eyes  are 
used  for  medicine.  In  many  cases  only  the  desperation  of 


suffering  overcomes  their  prejudices  against  foreign  medi- 
cal methods 
and  then  it  is 
often  too  late. 

But  prejudice 
once  over- 
come, it  is 
quite  easy 
to  keep  up 
friendly  rela- 
tions. Take 
a map  of 
China  [and 
locate  our 
twenty  Pres- 
byterian hos- 
pitals and  as 
many  dispen- 
saries with  35 
American 
physicians— 20  men  and  15  women. 

Canton  MissiON-\,We  find  at  Canton  the  oldest  and 
largest  mission  hospital  in  the  world,  founded  in  1835  by 
Dr.  Peter  Parker.  It  is  supported  by  the  Canton  Medical 
Society,  the  physicians  being  furnished  by  our  Board.  There 
are  61  wards  with  300  beds,  and  over  20,000  patients  treated 
annually.  \ From  1853  to  1899  it  was  superintended  by  Dr. 
John  G.  Kerr,  wh’o  trained  150  Chinese  students,  and  trans- 
lated over  twenty  medical  works  into  Chinese.  He  also 
founded  the  only  insane  asylum  in  China.\This  hospital 
with  its  large  chapel  and  schools  is  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant evangelistic  agencies  in  Sonthern  China.  Dr.  John  M. 
Swan  is  now  in  charge.  Chinese  friends  have  presented  a 
building  for  a medical  college.  There  are  five  dispensaries 
in  different  parts  of  the  city. 


The  Gregg  Hospital  for  women  with  30  beds  was 
opened  in  1903.  A women’s  medical  college  and  a train- 
ing-school for  nurses  are  connected  with  it.  'A  Chinese 
woman  gave  $3500  for  this  hospital,  on  condition  that  a 
children’s  ward  should  be  added.  All  the  work  for  women 
is  in  charge  of  Dr.  Mary  Fulton  and  Dr.  Mary  Niles. 

A glance 
at  the  in- 
terior will 
serve  to 
show  us  all 
other  hos- 
pitals in 
China. 

The  beds 
are  smooth 
boards,  cov- 
ered with  a 
piece  of 
matting  the 
same  size, 
resting  on 
trestles.  In 
cold  weather 

a heavy  cotton  comfortable,  with  a cover-slip  of  dark  blue 
or  brown  cotton,  is  added.  The  Chinese  do  not  like  white 
covering.  It  looks  like  death  and  mourning  to  them.  The 
pillow  is  the  size  and  shape  of  a brick,  some  made  of  earthen- 
ware, some  of  leather,  and  one  is  “just  a wooden  block.” 

“ At  six  in  the  morning,  or  earlier,”  says  Dr.  Niles,  “ every 
one  is  astir.  Hot  water  must  be  had  to  wash  face  and  hands. 
Next,  drops  or  other  medicine  must  be  put  into  the  eyes  of 
the  eye-patients.  Sores  must  be  dressed  by  hands  that  try 
to  be  gentle.  But  if  we  hear  cries  from  the  younger  ones, 
we  must  not  be  surprised.  Then  each  one  must  have  the 


GREGG  HOSPITAL  FOR  WOMEN.  CANTON, 


needful  medicine  and  the  prescribed  diet.  Somebody  may 
cry  because  she  can  have  only  boiled  rice  for  breakfast, 
when  her  mouth  was  fixed  for  some  savory  dish. 

“ At  half-past  eight  all  who  are  able — men,  women  and 
children — gather  for  prayers.  At  nine  o’clock,  hurrah  for 
breakfast ! Each  one  sees  to  the  cooking  of  her  own  meal, 
and  now,  bowls  and  chop-sticks  in  hand,  they  begin  in 
earnest.  At  ten  o’clock  dear  old  Sun  Tuk  comes  from  an 
adjoining  street  and  calls  to  all  who  wish  to  come  and  study. 
What  a kind  and  helpful  teacher  she  is  ! She  understands 
about  Jesus’  love  so  well.” 

One  fourteen-year-old  patient  after  going  to  the  hospital 
school,  said,  “ I will  be  a Christian  for  myself  and  mother 
too.  Mother  has  to  worship  idols.  People  hire  her  to  wor- 
ship for  them,  and  that’s  her  way  of  making  a living,” 

At  Yeung  Kong,  the  Forman  Hospital  (1903)  has  14  beds. 
The  dispensary  reaches  large  numbers. 

Lien  Chow  has  a hospital  for  men  and  another  for  women, 
with  a dispensary  at  Sam  Kong. 

Hainan  Mission. — There  are  a hospital  and  dispensary 
at  Hoihow ; the  Henry  Memorial  Hospital,  and  two  dispen- 
saries at  Nodoa ; a new  hospital  soon  to  be  opened  at 
Kachek. 

Central  China. — The  Tooker  Memorial  Hospital  for 
women  and  children  at  Soochow  (,1899)  is  superintended  by 
Dr.  Frances  Cattell  and  Dr.  Mary  Fitch,  with  three  Chinese 
assistants.  Miss  Lattimore  and  two  Bible  women  teach  the 
patients  and  visitors. 

At  Hwai  Yuen  (1903),  the  hospital  and  dispensary  are 
crowded  in  small  and  unsuitable  quarters,  but  much  has  al- 
ready been  accomplished. 

Hunan. — At  Siang  Tau,  an  old  temple  next  the  mission 
compound  has  been  bought  and  fitted  up  as  a hospital. 

Peking — The  medical  work  at  Peking  is  slowly  recover- 


WOMEN'S  HOSPITAL.  PEKING.  LADIES  HOME. 


ing  from  the  disasters  of  1900.  The  new  Douw  Hospital  for 
women  was  opened  in  1903. 

At  Paotingfu  the  memory  of  those  who  laid  down  their 
lives  there  for  China  is  perpetuated  by  the  most  appropriate 
of  monuments.  The  Hodge  Memorial  Hospital  for  women 
was  opened  in  1903.  It  has  14  wards,  and  is  thoroughly 
equipped.  The  hospital  for  men,  just  completed,  was  given 
in  memory  of  Dr.  G.  Yardley  Taylor  by  his  classmates  at 
Princeton  University. 

Shantung.— The  hospital  and  dispensary  at  Teng  Chow 
treat  each  year  thousands  of  patients.  Chefoo  has  a dispen- 
sary. At  Chinanfu  are  the  Mcllvaine  Hospital  for  men 
(1892),  and  the  Boyd  Hospital  for  women  (1899).  each  with  a 
dispensary.  At  Wei  Hsien,  where  all  the  mission  buildings 
were  destroyed  in  1900,  the  medical  work  was  housed  for  a 
time  in  a Chinese  inn.  The  new  hospitals  will  shortly  be 
opened.  A new  dispensary  was  started  in  1903  at  Ku  Chiu, 
an  out-station. 

The  medical  work  at  Chiningchow  was  self-supporting 
last  year,  and  the  two  hospitals  are  now  being  enlarged.  At 
Ichowfu  the  hospital  and  dispensary  are  overcrowded.  A 
new  women’s  hospital  is  in  prospect. 

Beside  the  patients  that  come  for  treatment  many  are 
reached  by  itinerating  trips,  and  many  others  are  treated  in 
their  own  homes.  Among  those  who  are  brought  for  aid  are 
man}r  who  have  attempted  suicide,  by  opium  or  other  poison. 
Most  of  these  are  women.  At  Wei  Hsien,  fifty  such  cases 
were  treated  in  eight  months,  and  antidotes  were  sent  to 
many  others  through  friends. 

Another  class  of  patients  are  the  opium  smokers,  who 
demand  both  firmness  and  patience.  One  of  the  Chinese 
stories  illustrates  both  their  medical  treatment  and  the  utter 
folly  of  the  habit.  A smoker  having  wasted  his  all,  deter- 
mined by  some  means  to  secure  one  last  smoke,  then  kill 


himself.  In  the  street  he  met  a man  crying  bitterly.  Asking 
the  cause,  he  was  told  his  old  father  was  dying,  and  human 
brains  had  been  prescribed  by  the  doctor  as  the  only  medi- 
cine. “See  here,”  said  the  smoker,  “give  me  money 
enough  for  one  good  smoke,  and  you  may  have  my  brains.” 
A bargain  was  made.  After  his  smoke  the  man  jumped 
headforemost  against  a stone  wall.  The  buyer  rushed  eagerly 
forward  with  his  bowl  to  secure  the  health-giving  brains. 
“But,”  the  story  ends,  “opium  smokers  have  no  brains.” 

Every  medical  missionary  finds  it  necessary  to  train  one 
or  more  assistants,  and  in  connection  with  the  larger  hos- 
pitals and  dispensaries,  there  have  always  been  classes  in 
medicine  and  nursing.  In  some  cases  these  students  come  at 
their  own  expense. 

We  take  so  little  real  interest  in  missions  that  even  our 
few  hospitals  are  not  fully  equipped  with  accommodations, 
appliances,  nurses,  or  even  physicians.  Attention  is  not 
given  gratis  if  the  patient  can  afford  to  pay,  and  some  pay 
well.  But  what  should  we  think  here  of  having  a woman 
waited  on  by  her  husband,  because  there  were  no  trained 
nurses  at  the  hospital.  He  gave  her  food  when  she  wanted 
it,  not  as  ordered  ; when  he  was  told  to  wash  the  floor  of  her 
room,  he  deluged  it  with  water,  till  the  uneven  floor  was 
“quite  a system  of  lakes.”  The  Bible  woman,  in  spite  of 
careful  instruction,  when  left  to  her  own  devices,  “drenched 
the  patient,”  to  the  doctor’s  great  anxiety. 

“ For  a long  while,  eggshells  were  carefully  saved  as  oint- 
ment boxes  and  empty  milk  cans  for  liquid  medicine  ; the 
latter  selling  at  a few  cash  each.”  This  is  from  a recent 
hospital  report  in  the  interior.  All  the  old  clothing  was 
being  saved  for  bandaging.  Shall  not  such  work  be  put  on 
a better  basis  ? 

When  we  hear  how  many  find  Christ  in  the  dispensary 
and  hospital,  how  can  we  be  so  indifferent  to  the  inadequacy 
of  equipment  that  hampers  the  work  so  seriously  ? 


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